Second Helping Of Rockaway Taste 2016

More than a thousand people filled the tents at the Gantry Plaza State Park on Tuesday, to chew and nibble on some of the freshest and most uniquely prepared cuisine from more than 50 local eateries, at the 10th annual Taste of LIC.

Since its inception in 2005, Long Island City’s own Shelia Lewandowski, executive director and co-founder of the Chocolate Factory Theatre, has helped lead the charge by organizing the annual celebration of cultural and culinary excellence. All of the proceeds from the event went to help keep the arts alive in Long Island City.

Nothing beats a cold cocktail on a hot summer day. Well, for fans of mixology, the “World’s Borough,” has finally inspired a drink as unique
as Queens itself.

Introducing Queens Courage, a refined interpretation of Old Tom gin—a clear spirit popular in the 1800’s, before Prohibition—craft-brewed in Astoria. Unlike the more popular variations of gin—such as “New American” and the standard “London Dry”—Old Tom provides a sweeter taste, smooth enough to drink neat, mixed or on the rocks.

“A lot of classic cocktail books call for Old Tom gin,” Christopher Murillo, founder of the Astoria Distillery, said. “It’s crazy that one of the key tools that bartenders need isn’t being produced. Queens Courage is an Old Tom gin that would work well with these classic cocktails.”

This story originally appeared in the Queens Tribune‘s annual Dining Guide.

If you were to ask Jay Parker, owner of Ben’s Best Kosher Gourmet Delicatessen in Rego Park, why he has devoted the last 31 years to serving customers in the community, he’d say it’s because of his ethical obligation – to provide thousands of New Yorkers with Kosher deli meats for any and every occasion.

Parker, along with his deli Ben’s Best, is one of more than 14 of New York City’s most elite delicatessens featured in “Deli Man,” a new documentary film from director Erik Greenberg Anjou, which gets right to the meat of how delis got their start in the United States.

“It’s a piece of deli history,” Parker said, after watching the film. “It gets right to the heart and soul of what makes delis, delis.”

This story originally appeared in the April 2, 2015 edition of the Queens Tribune.